Nottingham Forest boss Sean O'Driscoll added his voice to the call for football technology as he felt a blatant handball had decided a game between two npower Championship promotion hopefuls.

The sides were locked together, having scored a penalty each, when Hull defender Paul McShane bundled the ball into the net from close range.

And O'Driscoll argued: "It's one for technology. It was difficult for the referee, difficult for the linesman but unless they get somebody behind the goal it will be that way.

"In the time it took for three or four of our players to appeal against it, the fourth official could have been sitting in the stand watching a replay and telling the referee that it was a handball. The referee would get a signal, saying he had handled and we could all walk away much the wiser.

"All clubs have analysts with a constant feed of the game and if they took the fourth official away from where he stands and sit him in the stands, Bob's your uncle ... solved."

But O'Driscoll also added his admiration for the way Hull play after watching them several times this season.

He added: "It was a tight game but they are a decent outfit who play good football and are difficult to play against.

"It was a bit of a chess match between us and I thought we were bright and intelligent and upped it a notch in the second half but conceded a goal that should not have been."

Steve Agnew, manager Steve Bruce's number two, was delighted with Hull's performance and the result that cemented Hull's place in the top six.

He said: "I thought we were good value for the win. The shape of the team was good and we were resolute and tough throughout. We had what was needed to see the game out.

"We feel as though we should be competing at the top end of the division and where we are at the moment is very pleasing.

"What we have to do is find the consistency we would like to see over a period of time because when we have had a good run of results something has gone wrong.

"It would be nice if we could now take it on from this result and go through December remaining unbeaten.

"But we all know that in this league everyone seems capable of beating everyone else."

There was very little to choose between the sides until the 32nd minute when Forest midfielder Simon Gillett brought down David Meyler as he made his way to the byline. Robert Koren sent Lee Camp the wrong way from the spot.

And if that was innocuous then Forest's equaliser was equally tame, with Alex Bruce tripping Billy Sharp at a time when he was going away from goal. Sharp stepped up to score his fifth goal of the season from the spot.

But the controversial incident that settled it came when Koren's 69th-minute corner went across the face of the Forest goal and was bundled in by McShane.